The Invasion of Canada
Read The Invasion of Canada Online
Authors: Pierre Berton
The conquest of Canada is
in our power. I trust I shall
not be deemed presumptive when
I state that I verily believe
that the militia of Kentucky
are alone competent to place
Montreal and Upper Canada
at your feet.
Henry Clay, to the
United States Senate,
February 22, 1810.
Copyright © 1980 by Pierre Berton Enterprises Ltd.
Anchor Canada paperback edition 2001
All rights reserved. The use of any part of this publication, reproduced, transmitted in any form or by any means electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, or stored in a retrieval system without the prior written consent of the publisher — or, in the case of photocopying or other reprographic copying, a license from the Canadian Copyright Licensing Agency — is an infringement of the copyright law.
Anchor Canada and colophon are trademarks.
National Library of Canada Cataloguing in Publication Data
Berton, Pierre, 1920-
The invasion of Canada, 1812–1813
eISBN: 978-0-385-67360-0
1. Canada – History – War of 1812.* 2. United States – History – War of 1812. I. Title.
FC442.B47 2001 971.03′4 C2001-930602-4
E355.1.B47 2001
Published in Canada by
Anchor Canada, a division of
Random House of Canada Limited
Visit Random House of Canada Limited’s website:
www.randomhouse.ca
v3.1
Books by Pierre Berton
The Royal Family
The Mysterious North
Klondike
Just Add Water and Stir
Adventures of a Columnist
Fast Fast Fast Relief
The Big Sell
The Comfortable Pew
The Cool, Crazy, Committed World of the Sixties
The Smug Minority
The National Dream
The Last Spike
Drifting Home
Hollywood’s Canada
My Country
The Dionne Years
The Wild Frontier
The Invasion of Canada
Flames Across the Border
Why We Act Like Canadians
The Promised Land Vimy
Starting Out
The Arctic Grail
The Great Depression
Niagara: A History of the Falls
My Times: Living with History 1967, The Last Good Year
Picture Books
The New City (with Henri Rossier)
Remember Yesterday
The Great Railway
The Klondike Quest
Pierre Berton’s Picture Book of Niagara Falls Winter
The Great Lakes Seacoasts
Pierre Berton’s Canada
Anthologies
Great Canadians
Pierre and Janet Berton’s Canadian Food Guide
Historic Headlines
Farewell to the Twentieth Century
Worth Repeating
Welcome to the Twenty-first Century
Fiction
Masquerade (pseudonym Lisa Kroniuk)
Books for Young Readers
The Golden Trail
The Secret World of Og
Adventures in Canadian History (22 volumes)
The Strategic Significance of Michilimackinac
American Invasion Strategy, Summer, 1812
The Theatre of War Image 1,
Image 2
American-Indian Battles, 1790-1794
Brock’s Passage to Amherstburg
The Battle of Queenston Heights
Harrison’s Three-Column Drive to the Maumee Rapids
American Search and Destroy Missions against the Tribes, Autumn, 1812
Maps by Geoffrey Matthews
PRELUDE TO INVASION
British and Canadians
Sir James Craig,
Governor General of Canada, 1807-11.
Sir George Prevost,
Governor General of the Canadas and commander of the forces, 1811–15.
Francis Gore,
Lieutenant-Governor of Upper Canada, 1806–17. On leave in England, 1811–15.
Major-General Isaac Brock,
Administrator of Upper Canada and commander of the forces in Upper Canada, 1810–12.
William Claus,
Deputy Superintendent, Indian Department, Upper Canada, 1806–26.
Matthew Elliott,
Superintendent of Indian Affairs at Amherst-burg, 1796–97; 1808–14.
Robert Dickson
(known as
Mascotapah
, the Red-Haired Man), fur trader. Led Menominee, Winnebago, and Sioux in attack on Michilimackinac.
Augustus Foster,
British Minister Plenipotentiary to America, 1811–12.
Americans
Thomas Jefferson,
President, 1801–9.
James Madison,
President, 1809–17.
William Eustis,
Secretary of War, 1809–12.
William Henry Harrison,
Governor, Indiana Territory, 1800–1813. Commander of the Army of the Northwest from September, 1812.
William Hull, Governor,
Michigan Territory, 1805–12. Commander of the Army of the Northwest, April-August, 1812.
Henry Dearborn,
Secretary of War, 1801–9. Senior major-general, U.S. Army, 1812–13.
Henry Clay,
Speaker of the House of Representatives, November, 1811. Leader of the War Hawks.
Indian Leaders
The Prophet
. Born Laulewausika; later Tenskwatawa.
Tecumseh
, the Prophet’s older brother, leader of the Indian Confederacy.
Isaac Brock’s Command
: Summer, 1812
Thomas Bligh St. George,
Lieutenant-Colonel; commanding officer, Fort Amherstburg.
Henry Procter,
Lieutenant-Colonel; succeeded St. George as commanding officer, Fort Amherstburg.
J.B. Glegg,
Major; Brock’s military aide.
John Macdonell,
Lieutenant-Colonel; Brock’s provincial aide, Acting Attorney-General of Upper Canada.
Adam Muir,
Major, 41st Regiment.
William Hull’s Command
: Summer, 1812
Duncan Mc Arthur,
Colonel, 1st Regiment, Ohio Volunteers.
James Findlay,
Colonel, 2nd Regiment, Ohio Volunteers.
Lewis Cass,
Colonel, 3rd Regiment, Ohio Volunteers.
James Miller,
Lieutenant-Colonel, 4th U.S. Infantry (regular army).
Henry Procter’s Command
: Winter, 1812–13
Ebenezer Reynolds,
Major, Essex Militia.
Roundhead,
Wyandot chief.
William Henry Harrison’s Command
: Winter, 1812–13
James Winchester,
Brigadier-General; commander, left wing, Army of the Northwest.
John Allen,
Lieutenant-Colonel, 1st Kentucky Rifles.
William Lewis,
Lieutenant-Colonel, 5 th Regiment, Kentucky Volunteers.
Samuel Wells,
Lieutenant-Colonel, 17th U.S. Infantry (regular army).
Isaac Brock’s Command
: Fall, 1812
Christopher Myers,
Lieutenant-Colonel; commanding officer, Fort George.
Roger Hale Sheaffe,
Major-General; second-in-command to Brock. Commanded British forces on Brock’s death.
Thomas Evans,
Brigade Major, Fort George.
John Dennis,
Captain, 49th Regiment; commander of flank company defending Queenston.
John Williams,
Captain, 49th Regiment.
James Crooks,
Captain, 1st Lincoln Militia.
William Holcroft,
Captain, Royal Artillery.
Frederic Rolette,
Lieutenant, Provincial Marine.
Robert Irvine,
Second-Lieutenant, Provincial Marine.
John Brant,
Mohawk chief.
John Norton,
Captain, Indian Department; leader of Mohawks.